The Political Solidarity Model: Empirical Evidence and Implications for Social Stability and Social

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The Political Solidarity Model Empirical
Evidence and Implications for Social Stability
and Social Change
Emina Subasic Kate Reynolds
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Thank you

• Professor John C. Turner
• Professor Steve Reicher
• Dr Michael Schmitt
• Professor Steve Wright

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Outline

• Social psychology and social change a critique
• Political solidarity The concept
• Self-categorization and tripolar intergroup
  relations
• Empirical evidence
• Implications for social stability and social
  change

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Social Psychology and Social Change

• Attempts to understand (lack of) social change
  focus on
• Collective action involving disadvantaged
  minority
• Prejudice reduction involving privileged
  majority
• Explanations for why the status quo persists
  (SDT, SJT)
• Three dualisms implicit in current analyses

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Social Psychology and Social Change

• Dualism 1 Social Change vs. Status Quo
• Status quo absence of social change
• Social change ? absence of status quo
• Interdependence between the status quo and social
  change
• Distinct asymmetrical processes (not mirror
  images)

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Social Psychology and Social Change

• Dualism 2 Conflict vs. Cooperation
• Conflict and cooperation part of the same social
  change process
• Conflict active protest and challenge to
  existing power relations
• Cooperation mobilising widespread support for
  ones cause
• Conflict and cooperation used to maintain the
  status quo
• Conflict marginalising ones opponents
• Cooperation maintaining and enhancing ones
  support base
• Need to move beyond bipolar intergroup relations
  to understand this dynamic more fully

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Social Psychology and Social Change

• Dualism 3 Bipolar intergroup relations (high vs.
  low status, dominant vs. subordinate, privileged
  vs. disadvantaged, etc.)
• Is there more to the story? If we are not the
  disadvantaged, are we necessarily the
  privileged (dominant, high status) and
  therefore destined to oppose change?
• Mugny et al (1982, 1984) Minority influence
  taking place in a tripolar context
• Simon Klandermans (2001) Social identity is
  politicized when activists seek to involve third
  parties (societal audience) in their cause
• Reicher et al ESIM of Crowd Behaviour
• Leach, Snider Iyer (2002) Poisoning the
  consciences of the fortunate the experience of
  relative advantage and support for social
  equality

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Tripolar Intergroup Power Relations
Authority
Minority
Majority
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The Political Solidarity Concept

• Political solidarity (Scholz, 2008)
• Arises in response to injustice or oppression
• Commitment to join with others to challenge a
  perceived injustice
• Unity based on shared cause (shared vision)
  rather than shared history of oppression
• Sharing a common history of oppression, however,
  is not sufficient for solidarity each individual
  in the solidary group must value an
  interpretation of the past and the present and
  share a vision for the future, regardless of
  whether each individual actually experienced the
  relevant history. (Scholz, 2008 34)
• Inherently oppositional a movement for social
  change
• Opposes injustice, oppression, tyranny

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The Political Solidarity Concept

• Political solidarity (Subasic, Reynolds Turner,
  2008)
• Solidarity
• Common cause majority embracing the minority
  cause as its own
• Shared orientation to the status quo social
  change is needed
• Unity in diversity recognition of (subgroup)
  differences, yet able to work together (at times
  precisely because of difference)
• Political
• Challenging existing power relations in line with
  shared cause
• Challenge to (hitherto) legitimate authority

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Status Quo more likely when
Authority
Minority
Majority
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Social Change more likely when
Authority
Minority
Majority
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Political Solidarity as a Process Status Quo ?
Social Change
Authority
Minority
Authority
Minority
Majority
Majority
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Empirical overview

• Emphasis on tripolar intergroup relations where
  participants are always members of the majority

e.g. low paid sweatshop workers asylum
seekers Indigenous Australians
Authority
Minority
e.g. the government corporate management
Majority
Participants

• Key Question When will the majority challenge
  the authority in solidarity with the minority?

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Empirical Overview

• Key Dependent Variable Political Solidarity as
  Outcome
• Collective Action Intentions
• Challenge to Authority
• Support for Minority
• Key Independent/Mediating Variables
• Authority Norm Violation
• Authority Legitimacy
• Majority Identity
• Boundaries (e.g. minority ingroup or outgroup
  members)
• Meaning (e.g. group norms)
• Common Cause

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Empirical Evidence Study 1

• Study 1
• Basic process authority norm violation as the
  first step towards political solidarity
• Is political solidarity with outgroup
  minorities possible?

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Study 1 Design

• Context government policy reforms to do with
  workers rights have the potential to further
  disadvantage low-paid Australian/Foreign
  workers.
• 2 x 2 x 2
• Identity meaning Egalitarian (Strong vs. Weak)
• Authority (Norm Consistent vs. Norm Inconsistent)
  
• Minority (Australian vs. Foreign Workers)
• Challenge to authority in solidarity with the
  (outgroup) minority should be more likely when
  authority violates norms that strongly define the
  relevant identity.

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Study 1 Results

• Challenge to Authority (CAI)
• 2 x 2 Interaction (Identity x Authority)

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Study 1 Results

• Challenge to Authority (CAI)
• 2 x 2 Interaction (Minority x Authority)

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Study 1 Results

• Support for Minority (CAI)
• 2 x 2 Interaction (Minority x Authority)

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Study 1 Results

• Common Cause with Minority
• 2 x 2 Interaction (Minority x Authority)

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Study 1 Results

• Support for Minority (CAI)
• 2 x 2 Interaction (Identity x Minority)

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Empirical Evidence Summary

• Political solidarity is a function of
• Majority relationship with minority, but also
• Majority relationship with authority
• Political solidarity cannot be reduced to common
  fate
• Effects of common fate vary depending on identity
  processes
• The meaning of majority identity central
• Embodies minoritys concerns and interests as
  our own

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Implications for Social Stability and Change

• Interdependence between status quo and social
  change
• Status quo more likely when minority marginalised
  
• Social change more likely when authority loses
  legitimacy
• Asymmetry in tripolar intergroup relations
• Authority already shares identity with majority
• For minority, shared identity needs to emerge
• Challenge to authority depends on
• Severing of shared identity meaning with
  authority AND
• Emergence of shared identity meaning with
  minority

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Conclusions

• Social change and status quo as interdependent
  but distinct processes (involving both conflict
  and cooperation)
• Tripolar intergroup power relations as a contest
  for influence over the meaning of the relevant
  identity
• Political solidarity as a useful starting point
  for understanding these dynamics

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• Thank you
• Questions, comments?